Endings and Beginnings
by KateToast
Summary: Takes place four years after the show ends. It may be the end of one thing, but it's just the beginning of something else. TruJack.
1. End Middle

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Tru Calling.

**A/N:** Takes place four years after the last episode. Carrie is long gone. Follows events of my TC fic Similar Opposites.

ENDINGS AND BEGINNINGS

**XXX**

"Jack, how long have you been working for me?" Richard Davies questioned one spring morning as Jack Harper entered his office.

"Not even a 'hello'? A 'good morning'? A 'how have you been'?" Jack asked with a smirk, leaning against the wall beside the door and crossing his arms over his chest. At the older man's determined stare, he replied, "I don't know… about five years?"

Nodding to himself, Richard leaned back in his chair. "And how many lives have you claimed?"

"There's been too many to count, and I'm not really into keeping tallies," Jack answered, starting to become confused. "What's this about?"

"Well, Jack, lately you've been slipping. And we can't have that." Richard waited a beat, and then continued, "I hired a sort of… _private investigator _to follow you."

Surprised, Jack pushed himself away from the wall. "A private investigator to follow _me_? Well, you've never done _that_ before," he stated obviously.

"He came in earlier this morning to tell me what he'd found out. He had some interesting things to say," Richard said. "Showed me some interesting pictures."

"Well I hope he caught my good side," Jack cracked, hiding his nervousness with years of practice. "Maybe you can give me the best one and I can send it out for my next Christmas card."

"I was quite surprised," the older man pushed on, "to find my _daughter_ in some of the shots, not to mention the notes he had taken down about what you were doing." He locked gazes with Jack, challenging him. "So explain."

"There's nothing _to_ explain. You told me to keep my eye on her when I first started, and that's what I've been doing."

"Keeping an eye on her, huh? Jack, it wasn't that long ago that you told me that the two of you had been _more_ than just enemies. From the looks of things, it seems lately you've started keeping more than _just _an eye on her again."

Richard opened the manila envelope sitting in front of him and turned it upside down, letting the pictures inside fall onto the desk. He held up one of Jack and Tru drinking coffee together, her hand resting comfortably on his arm as they both laughed.

"I don't want any of your sarcastic comments, Jack. Tell me what the hell is going on."

"I love your daughter."

The declaration had come out from Jack's mouth before he'd even had a chance to consider his words. He was, after all, speaking to his boss and mentor, not to mention the father of his opposite; the woman he was supposed to hate.

He hadn't even said those words to _her_. Or, actually, to anyone in his entire life. It wasn't exactly something people expected Death to say.

Richard clasped his hands together on top of the desk, scrutinizing his successor. "I thought that was over," he said slowly. "You said she ended it when she found out about us working together."

Jack shrugged in a 'what-can-you-do' manner. "She did. But then we… un-ended it."

"So you've been lying to me for all these months?" Richard questioned, his voice threateningly calm. "Is this why she's been saving so many victims? You told me it was because she had found another person to help her. Is that person _you_?"

"No," Jack half-lied. He only helped her _sometimes_. "Look, Richard, you're one to talk about our relationship. You had the same exact one fifteen years ago!"

"That didn't stop me from doing my job," Richard said in a hard tone. "And look what it did to me in the end! I had to kill my own wife because I couldn't take it anymore! I don't want that happening to you and Tru someday down the line!"

"It won't," Jack said firmly.

"How do you know?" Richard asked, and then shook his head. "She won't even speak to me," he added quietly.

Jack stood in the center of the room, not knowing what to do or say. "It's been five years. We're both tired of doing this," he finally admitted.

"The only way to end it isn't really an option, though, is it?" Richard rubbed his forehead with his hand. "Get back on track, Jack. This is your job."

"Are you going to fire the guy you've got following me?"

Richard took a moment, and then shook his head. "No."

**XXX**

"Hey, where have you been since yesterday? I had thought you were going to stop by last night," Tru Davies said in way of greeting Jack the next day as he gave her a brief kiss on the cheek and sat across the outdoor table from her. She pushed a cup of coffee towards him.

"I had some stuff to take care of," Jack replied, waving it off and sipping the beverage. He discreetly glanced out of the corner of his eye, watching the passing crowd to see if anyone was watching them. At her odd look towards him, he smiled and said, "So, only a few more classes and then you're done with school for the semester."

"Yeah," Tru nodded. "It's crazy. I still have another year, but it feels like I've been going for forever. Well, I did audit the class that first year." Trying not to think too much about that year, or the past in general, she plastered a new grin on her face, directing it towards her… Jack.

"I know, I was there," Jack smirked. "Of course, you hated me back when you started-"

"With good reason," Tru interjected with a smirk of her own. "You were a lying, self-absorbed jerk." She knowingly avoided the fact that they had been (and still were) fighting for different sides, and that that was the _real_ reason she had hated him. They both knew it anyway.

Rubbing the back of his neck so he could check some nearby bushes, Jack shrugged. "Well, you weren't exactly a field of daisies yourself."

"Oh please," Tru rolled her eyes, and, noticing his distracted glances, asked, "What's going on?"

He turned back towards her, sipping his coffee again. "Nothing."

Tru didn't look convinced, but let it go. She had learned over the past few years of hating, then tolerating, then befriending, and then 'seeing' him that sometimes, it just wasn't worth it to push certain topics, especially if it was going to start yet another argument between them. She liked their odd, barely-understandable pairing.

"You know," Jack started casually, "we haven't had a rewind day in awhile."

Shifting in her seat, Tru shrugged. "So?"

She knew she should have cared more about the fact that he had just pointed out, but if she were being completely honest, she was glad no one had asked for her help lately. It was hard enough to get though finals at school, working at the morgue, and her own personal issues, without the added stress of saving someone's life on top of it. Besides, it meant that she and Jack could find a few moments of peace between them, without competition lurking behind their every question, word, or movement.

She'd been considering she and Jack's status a lot lately, wondering what it would be like if neither of them had the calling; if they would have a normal, healthy relationship, instead of one filled with unsaid words and secrets kept in the dark so the other wouldn't get hurt. She'd never addressed him as her boyfriend, and he'd never called her his girlfriend. The word 'dating' had never come up at all. However, he didn't see other girls, and she didn't see other guys.

Ironic that the longest-lasting relationship she'd ever had was with the man she was supposed to loathe.

Of course, without their shared link, they probably would have never met in the first place. A gift and (most definitely) a curse at the same time.

"Well, I'm just wondering. It's been two weeks and not a single victim has asked for your help. What, you figure out how to get rid of the damn calling without telling me? 'Cause if you did, I need to know so I can get a real job."

"No," Tru said, almost wistfully, then added, "And you should be laying off the gambling anyway." She shrugged with a sigh. "I guess nobody has needed my help."

"Well, that just means everyone is in their right mind, and know that coming over to my side is the correct choice."

If he weren't shooting her a charming smile, Tru wouldn't have let Jack's comment slip by so easily. But she'd learned that if you're going to be hanging around your reverse on more-than-friendly terms, you have to let some things go.

It was who won the game of 'savior' that mattered, anyway.

"Hey, Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever wondered what it would be like if… we _didn't_ have the calling? Or if we lost it, somehow?"

Staring her straight in the eye, Jack said seriously, "All the time."

**XXX**

"Hey Davis," Tru greeted her co-worker as she entered the morgue later that afternoon, grabbing her lab coat to put on.

"Hey Tru," Davis replied, shuffling through some files. He looked up and gazed behind her suspiciously. "So… no one walked you in today?"

Rolling her eyes, Tru shook her head in the negative. For the first few months of her relationship with Jack, she'd decided not to tell anyone. It had been difficult enough readjusting to literally sleeping with the enemy, she hadn't needed the extra anxiety of Davis and Harrison trying to talk her out of it, or always telling her Jack was just using her. He'd agreed readily, not wanting to make any more trouble with those on Tru's side.

However, eventually they'd asked so many questions about her change of heart with her counterpart that she'd had no choice but to tell them the truth. Now, both of her confidences were still wary around the man they had always considered Death.

"Any new additions to the morgue today?" Tru questioned as she looked over the files Davis had been poring over.

"Uh, yeah," Davis said, searching his desk for the file. He found it and passed it over to Tru. "Troy Wilkins. Got hit by a car on his way home from work."

"Was it an accident, or did the driver purposely hit him?"

"It seemed to be an accident," Davis admitted. "But you never know."

"All right, I'm gonna check it out," Tru said.

"Happy rewinding," Davis called after her. "You know… if it happens."

"Thanks." Tru entered the examination room, closing the office door behind her.

A man who she was assuming was Troy Wilkins was placed on the metal table in the middle of the room. Tru stepped forward and came to a stop beside the body, which was covered from feet to neck with a sheet. His blank, glassy eyes stared up at the ceiling, and Tru waited patiently, ready for the head to turn and ask for her help, once again pitting her against fate.

After twenty minutes of sitting and waiting, Tru was beginning to lose steam. She had sat in the same position eleven times before in the past two weeks, and none of those times had ended up with a rewind either.

Jack's words from their earlier coffee date came back to her. _'Well, I'm just wondering. It's been two weeks and not a single victim has asked for your help. What, you figure out how to get rid of the damn calling without telling me?'_

Had she lost the calling?

Tru sat for another fifteen minutes, and then finally decided that the man wasn't going to ask. She placed the sheet over his face and walked back into the office.

Davis looked up from his computer. "Nothing?"

"Once again, no," Tru replied, leaning against his desk. "I don't know what's going on. I haven't had a rewind in two weeks."

"Maybe somebody is giving you a break?" Davis shrugged. "You've been doing this for five years, this has to have happened before."

"I've never gone this long without a rewind," Tru informed him.

"Well, maybe…" Davis began, then diverted his eyes and trailed off.

"Maybe what?"

"Maybe… since you and Jack are together, it's thrown off the cosmic balance. Maybe the fact that you two are no longer true opposites has screwed up your calling."

"Davis," Tru warned. "I don't think that's it." But it did make _some_ sense. "Why can't you just accept Jack?"

"Because he's _Death_, Tru!" Davis burst out. "You go out there with the intent to save lives, and he goes out there with the intent of making sure they stay dead!"

"It's… complicated," Tru said. Everything Davis had _ever_ said about her relationship with Jack were the exact things they both tried to ignore.

"Tru… why are you with him? How do you know he isn't just using you? I mean you won't even speak to your father because he's working for the other side, but you get back together with Jack? What changed between you two?"

Tru looked away from her friend. She'd always tried to avoid explaining her feelings, and the pain she was experiencing from his comments were starting a burning sensation behind her eyes. "I guess that after awhile I just realized that even though he's trying to stop me, he's the only one who understands what it's like to carry a burden like this. I started seeing where he's coming from; what might motivate him. And once I got past his jerky, annoying, sarcastic outside, he wasn't _that_ bad."

After a moment of silence, Davis sighed. "If you're happy, then I'm glad for you. And I know you and I have our differences, and sometimes in the past I've sort of sided with him. But still, I just don't-"

"Trust him, I know," Tru finished for him.

She looked out of the blurry window into the hallway, and caught someone looking in. The person noticed her watching them, and rushed out. Tru chased after, leaving Davis in a confused daze.

"Hey!" Tru called out. "Hey you!"

The person turned around before they exited out of the morgue, and Tru caught a glimpse of the man. She took a quick mental note on what he looked liked: goatee, beady eyes, a hat covering his tangled hair. He looked like the guy she had seen earlier when she and Jack had been walking to the morgue.

"What was that about?" Davis asked after he had caught up to Tru.

"I don't know," she responded.

**XXX**

"Hey, sister-of-mine," Harrison said as he entered Tru's apartment that evening. "Ready to go?"

"In a second," Tru responded, and then entered the kitchen. "You know, sometimes I think you only hang around me for free food," she said as she watched him shove a handful of chips into his mouth.

"Yeah, well, the company is okay too," he cracked, giving her a nice shot of the chewed food before he swallowed. "We're already running late."

"We? _You_ were supposed to be here ten minutes ago. It's already six-thirty," Tru pointed out, grabbing her purse and shooing her brother out of the apartment, locking the door behind her.

"I had some stuff to take care of," Harrison said vaguely.

"What is it with guys and that phrase?" Tru asked rhetorically as they got into her car and sped up the street.

"Eh, Avery and Tyler are used to us being late."

After Jenson had died, the three medical students had decided to meet once a month for dinner. This worked out for everyone, since all had busy and mismatched schedules and limited free time. Once Harrison had started becoming friendly with Avery and Tyler, he'd begun tagging along with his sister. It was easy for Tru to stay friends with them when she made this sort of commitment.

"Speaking of… what's going on with you and Avery?" she questioned, glancing out of the corner of her eye towards the passenger side.

Harrison shrugged nonchalantly, but didn't answer. Instead, he started humming a song, and Tru just laughed, dropping the subject. She'd noticed the growing flirtation between her friend and her brother, and wondered where _that_ was going.

"You know, Tru, Dad mentioned that he's been trying to call you a lot lately, but you're freezing him out. Now I know we've all had our differences with him, but what's going on?"

Her good mood deflating at the thought of the lying man she called 'Dad', Tru just shook her head. "It's just some… stuff."

"Stuff?"

"Yeah, like none of your business stuff," she said in a teasing voice, hoping he'd leave it there.

When she had found out months before that her father was the one Jack worked for, she'd decided not to tell Harry and ruin the good relationship father and son had going. Harry had really been starting to appreciate their dad more and more, first with giving him a job, and then the free apartment. Tru still thought it all seemed suspicious, but she wasn't sure if that was because her father was an untrustworthy murderer.

They reached the restaurant a few minutes later, and, once the car was parked, headed towards the group's "usual table".

"Hey Tru! Happy I'm-almost-done-with-med-school day!" Avery greeted enthusiastically as the new arrivals sat down. "Hey Harrison," she added, her voice a bit softer.

Harrison gave her a casual nod, but Tru noticed him smiling into his menu.

"Where's Tyler?" asked Tru, noticing the missing person.

"Oh, his sister was having some big dinner for the family," Avery replied, shrugging it off. "So what's new with you guys? It's been _forever_!"

"It's been a week and a half, Avery," Tru corrected with a grin. "Nothing new to report."

"Nothing?" Avery looked disappointed.

"Nope. You?"

"No," she said. "We need to become more social."

Harrison nodded. "I agree. Of course, maybe some of us are being a little _too_ social," he said, casting an eye towards his older sister.

Avery looked intrigued. "Oh? What does _that_ mean?" she questioned her fellow med student with glittering eyes.

"It means," Tru began, looking away from her menu only to glare at her brother, "that some people need to stop worrying about other people and their personal… affairs."

"Good word choice," Harrison snorted under his breath.

"Oh, you're one to talk," Tru shot back.

"At least I'm not screwing the world up."

"At least I'm mature enough to figure things out on my _own_."

"At least I'm not _flirting_ with _Death_."

"God, first Davis, and now you? Can't a girl get a break?"

"I am so confused right now," Avery interjected, looking back and forth between the siblings. "Are you dying?" she directed towards Tru.

After sharing one more annoyed look with Harrison, Tru shook her head. "No, just some normal brother/sister… banter."

"Banter. Right," Avery nodded, still not understanding.

Tru sighed as her brother and friend began another conversation, leaving her to peruse the menu once again. She and Harrison had had many 'discussions' about the subject of her relationship with Jack, but never in front of anyone else before. Though Avery was one of her closest friends, she still hadn't divulged her secret to her, which meant explaining Jack would be very tricky. So, the woman knew nothing about that particular part of her life, except that Jack was 'an annoying guy who follows her around all the time'.

"…Yeah, so I'm not sure if I want to keep the 50 inch, or go smaller," Harrison finished.

"I haven't been to your place since the Christmas party," Avery said, referring to Harrison's annual holiday bash.

"Well then, you've got to check out the home entertainment center soon, in case I decide to get a smaller flat screen."

Avery smiled. "I may just."

Tru glanced between the two, then turned away and made a face. Luckily, the waiter popped over before they could continue.

**XXX**

Jack was sitting in his apartment, flicking aimlessly through the channels on his television. Normally, his nights that didn't end a rewind day were spent with Tru, but she was out for her monthly dinner with her friends.

He had never really noticed before now that he had quite little in his life when you factored out the calling and the woman that came along in that package.

Maybe, if he lost his power, he'd get a real job instead of relying on bets and gambles to get by (besides, he wouldn't have the advantage of knowing anything ahead of time). He'd make some real friends, some buddies he could go out drinking with. He'd solidify his relationship with Tru, maybe think about their future…

Before he had the chance to smack himself out of his un-Jack-like thoughts, his cell phone rang across the room.

"This is Jack," he said when he had reached the device, half-expecting it to be Tru, telling him she was 'creeped out' by being alone at the morgue this late, which they both knew was a fake line so he would go and join her.

This girl had really changed him.

"Jack," the voice on the other end said. "You're about to have a rewind day."

"Who is this?" Jack asked.

"It's Richard," the man responded.

"How do you know there's going to be a rewind?"

"Because I just killed a man before his time."

Jack fell back onto his couch. "What? Why?" Normally it was just their job to make sure the victim _stayed_ dead, not kill them in the first place.

Richard sounded hurried as he explained, "He overheard us talking, and apparently also picked up on you and Tru having a very unexplainable conversation about saving or letting victims go. He confronted me about it, told me he was going to go to the police, and then the press, about our jobs. I had no choice." He waited a beat to let his successor digest this information, and then continued, "What's done is done, Jack. This is your chance to redeem yourself. Make sure he is in my office at ten-forty, and I'll take care of the rest." He paused. "Make sure he stays dead."

The line abruptly went dead. Jack pulled the phone away from his face and stared at it for a moment, before jumping into action. He knew Richard well enough to know that the scheming man was going to call the police- if he hadn't already done so- and report the murder, finding a way to make sure it couldn't be traced back to himself. Besides, if the day did end up rewinding, Jack would tell his boss what had happened the first day, and Richard would have more time to clean everything up.

He checked his watch. Eleven-oh-eight. The body was probably already on its way to the morgue, where Tru would be starting her graveyard shift.

He was _going_ to tell Richard what happened if the day re-winded. If all went well, he'd be back in the older man's good graces in no time.

He _was _going to tell him.

Wasn't he?

**XXX**

Tru opened the door to the examining room and held it for the two men carrying the newest body into the morgue. "Right on the center table," she directed. Maybe this person would ask.

"Good night," they both said as they exited, leaving Tru alone with the body.

She knew that most people would be thoroughly horrified at the idea of having to spend the entire night around corpses, but not her. After years of working at the morgue and having the dead ask for her help, she was used to the chilling quiet of the building when she was the only one there; the magnified sounds and the knowledge that at any given moment, any of the deceased around her could make her day start all over again.

Recently, she'd gotten into the habit of calling Jack, and making up some lame excuse of a reason for him to come down and spend the shift with her. Usually, and quite surprisingly, he'd agree, playing tough-guy-hero and promising to protect her from any of the scary noises. And even though half the time a body would come in at eleven-fifty-nine and ask for her help, restarting the entire day and forcing she and Jack to retreat to their opposite corners, when it all was over and one of them had succeeded, he'd still come back that night.

He was such a mystery to her.

Tru looked over the paper she had been faxed by the officer who had been at the crime scene and saw the name, Don Chambers. She glanced towards the man lying on the table, completely hidden by a stark white sheet before looking back at the information in her hands.

"Time of death: approximately ten forty-five pm," Tru recited out loud. "Found at…"

She trailed off slowly, and even though she prided herself as a kick-ass type of girl who could withstand any sort of surprises, this one had her nearly floored. The place this man was killed in was her father's law firm building. In her father's _office_, to be exact.

Tru pulled the sheet back slowly from Don's face, recognizing the tangled hair, goatee, and empty, beady eyes of the man who had been in the morgue that afternoon, watching her.

Beginning to piece everything together, Tru looked back down at the papers. "Shot straight in the heart…" She bit her lip, placing her gaze back on the dead man in front of her. "It couldn't have been suicide."

Suddenly, the shiver of anticipation ran down Tru's spine, and she knew she had not lost the calling. Don's head turned, his face pale as a ghost, and yet communicated with her as if alive.

"Save me," he pleaded.

**XXX**


	2. Middle

**A/N**: Posting the whole thing at once...

**XXX**

Jerking awake and sitting straight up in bed, Tru took only a second to collect herself before picking up her phone and dialing, an action she had done countless times before.

"Well, I guess you didn't manage to get rid of the calling," Jack proclaimed as he picked up his phone. "Here I was ready to give up all hope of having another rewind day."

Not exactly sure why she called him, Tru began, "Um… so, it's a rewind day." It had been her instinct to call Jack, even though technically right now they were on different sides. She wasn't supposed to be seeking him, but at the same time, part of her wondered if this time, it would be different.

If this time, he would willingly work _with_ her, instead of against her.

"Alright, stating the obvious," Jack joked lightly. At silence on the other end, he asked, "Tru? You there?"

"Yeah, sorry," Tru replied, shaking her head.

Jack let out a slight chuckle, but was battling something fierce on the inside. He had hardly had the chance to lock his apartment door on his way out to the morgue before the day had re-winded. And now, he wasn't sure if he should let Tru know that it was Richard who killed the man whose job was to spy on him.

In the beginning, he had _never_ expected to feel something like loyalty towards his nemeses, only to the man helping him do his job. This was something he had scoffed at numerous times, thinking that the day he chose the girl trying to play God over his role of Fate, was the day he could be legitimately called certifiable and locked up in an insane asylum for the rest of his life.

That had changed, though. _She_ had changed it. And just by being _her_, too.

"I think I know who the guy is," Tru said slowly, getting up from her bed and rummaging through her closet, picking out the same clothes she had worn on the first day. "The fax…" She stopped herself before she revealed anymore.

"Yeah," Jack acknowledged, mirroring Tru's actions and getting some clothes to throw on. Their silence spoke volumes, and Jack understood what he had to do. "I'm guessing we're not meeting for coffee. See you around, Tru." He hung up before she could say anything else.

He prayed to whoever was listening that he'd be rid of this damn burden before it killed him. Or had him killed.

**XXX**

"Hey Davis," Tru said as she entered the morgue that afternoon. After class, she had found herself making her way towards her father's building, until she'd been standing across the street from it. It had loomed in front of her, mocking her, telling her that if she lost this one, she lost everything.

For all she knew, that was true.

"Hey Tru," Davis replied immediately, shuffling through some files. He looked up and gazed behind her suspiciously. "So… no one walked you in today?"

She shook her head. "No time. It's Day 2. Can you look up a Don Chambers for me?"

"Oh, uh, sure," Davis said, surprised. "What happened to him?"

"Shot in the heart." She looked over his shoulder at the computer screen. "I think it was by my father."

Davis whirled around in his chair. "Your _father_? Why would _he_ kill somebody? Well, I know why, but I didn't think they killed people on Day 1, I thought they just made sure the dead stayed dead."

"They do. But… I don't know, I just have this feeling, you know? And the guy, Don Chambers, I think he was- _is_- following me.

"I can't find him anywhere," Davis informed her. "Oh, there's a body waiting for you in the other room. Troy-"

"Wilkins, I know."

"I'm guessing he didn't ask you for help yesterday?"

"No, just this one guy." Tru glanced around the room, thinking.

"Did you, uh… talk to Jack?" Davis asked tentatively.

Tru nodded. "Sort of."

"Did he tell you anything?"

"Not anything useful, no," Tru admitted. She knew that if Jack had told her father the events that took place the first day, and if her father really _did_ have some sort of connection with Don, that he'd tell Jack everything to ensure the man still died.

"Well, he _is_ trying to make sure this guy stays dead. Did you tell him anything _you_ know?" At her negative headshake, Davis looked away. He waited a moment, then continued, "Tru… why are you with him? How do you know he isn't just using you? I mean you won't even speak to your father because he's working for the other side, but you get back together with Jack? What changed between you two?"

Tru sighed. "It's… complicated. Look, Davis, we had this conversation yesterday. I promise I'll explain it to you one day. Soon. But right now I've got to figure out-"

She looked out of the office's blurry window and spotted Don Chambers looking in. He caught her looking at him and made a break for it.

Tru followed after, hot on his heels. "Hey!" she called. "Hey you!"

Today, he did not turn around.

"What was that about?" Davis asked, catching up.

"That's the guy who gets killed tonight," she told him quickly. "I've gotta go. I don't think I'll be able to do the graveyard shift tonight."

"All right," Davis said, still trying to process what had just happened.

She exited the morgue, out into the bustling street, but saw no signs of Don. Her watch told her that it was nearing five o'clock, and if things kept going how they were so far, she was going to be spending most of her time up to eleven searching for this man to stop him from reaching her father's office.

Tru pulled her cell phone out from her pocket and dialed. "Hey Harry? Do you mind going to dinner without me tonight? Something's come up."

**XXX**

His hand hesitated as it hovered over the doorknob, contemplating whether he should turn said knob or not. The name Richard Davies, imprinted neatly on the door, challenged him, tested him.

Jack had had to revert back to his old ways to find out the name of the man following him; he'd lurked in the shadows of the morgue, and had overheard Davis and Tru's conversation. He'd also watched as Tru chased after the guy they both were trying to find, and had waited until Davis had run after them to slip out the back exit and find the runaway person himself.

He _had_ found Don, sitting on a bench looking confused and dazed, reading over the notes he had taken, trying to make sense of things. It would have been easy for Jack to go over to him, talk to him a bit, make the snoop trust him, and lead him to his fate.

He'd left Don Chambers sitting on the bench.

And now he was standing in front of his boss's office. If he went in and informed Richard of everything that had transpired, he would most likely be praised and regain the trust of the other man. Not to mention, he wouldn't have to worry about anybody dogging his footsteps, snapping shots of his private life, taking notes about what he did from day-to-day.

But if he didn't tell him… well, Richard wouldn't realize it anyway.

Pulling his hand back as if badly burned, Jack gazed once more upon the door, and then turned to leave.

He needed more time to consider.

**XXX**

"Hey Harrison," Avery greeted as her friend sat across from her at the group's "usual table".

"Hey," he replied nonchalantly. "Where's Tyler?"

"Oh, his sister was having some big dinner for the family," Avery replied, shrugging. "Where's Tru?"

"Uh, she had something to do, it was kind of important…" Harrison said vaguely. His sister hadn't told him what was actually going on, but if he had to guess, it involved a dead body, a plea for help, and a rewind. And also, most likely, a smarmy bastard he liked to call Death.

"Oh," Avery said. "So it's just… you and me."

"Yeah," Harrison nodded. He glanced down at his menu, then back across the table. "So I got this new home entertainment center. You should see it, it's a thing of beauty."

"I haven't been to your place since the Christmas party," Avery said with a smile.

"Well then, you've got to check out this thing soon, in case I decide to get a smaller flat screen." Harrison sent her a winning grin.

**XXX**

"No luck finding him?" a voice from her left side asked, and Tru turned from her leaning position against a wall to find Jack standing before her. She was surprised he'd even seen her; she was hidden in the dark shadows of the alley in between the buildings, where the streetlamps couldn't reach her.

"Well, I'm just… taking a break." She looked away, then up at the structure she was supporting herself against; the place her dad's office was located in. "He's gonna come around here eventually," she said.

"My thoughts exactly," Jack agreed, taking the spot beside her.

"So you told him," Tru stated, looking straight ahead.

Jack faltered for a second, then answered, "No."

Baffled, Tru turned her head to scrutinize her opposite. "You didn't? Why not?"

Letting out a short laugh that wasn't completely real, Jack shook his head. "I didn't tell him. I almost did, but I didn't." Still with the smirk on his face, he shifted his body so he was facing Tru. "Why are you even asking why I didn't? We both know why." At her questioning expression, he continued, "C'mon, Tru, don't play dumb. We both feel it. It's different this time. Maybe it's because we went without a rewind for two weeks, or maybe it's just because of what we do together off-hours, but things have changed."

Taking in a breath, Tru nodded. She could feel the blood in her body pumping faster, her cheeks turning a slightly pinker color, her heart rate speeding up. It always got like this when they were this close. Looking into his shaded eyes, she suddenly longed for nothing more than to forget about the man she was trying to save, forget about the calling, and go somewhere with Jack, somewhere they could be alone. "It's all so _gray_, now," she said. "I don't see black and white anymore when it comes to you and me."

"You know, Tru," Jack said, his voice hushed, his face inches from hers, "I know this isn't a very 'me' thing to say, but if I had the chance to go back to the beginning when I first started working for Fate, and I had the chance to say no? I'd still have agreed just so I could see your face every day."

It was one of the sweetest things Jack had ever said to her, and Tru took advantage of the fact that they were in a dark, deserted alley to close the gap between them, pushing her lips on his, feeling the familiar adrenaline rush run through her from his touch, and reveling in it.

She'd never known a love so electrifying.

**XXX**

He had been starting to remove her shirt when she'd stopped him, her jacket already on the ground.

"Jack," she said, shaking her head and laughing at the situation. "We're in an alley. And it's a rewind day. Are you just trying to divert my attention?"

Shrugging and kissing her neck one more time, Jack said in a smooth voice, "It doesn't take much from me to grab your attention."

She rolled her eyes and swatted his arm, enjoying this peaceful moment during a hectic and tense day. "Don't we think a lot of our charms."

"You love my charms," Jack responded, but backed away slowly, holding up his hands.

"But if you don't want to do this right now, then you're gonna have to make up for it later."

"Mmm… I guess that's okay," Tru said with a seductive smile. When she had first sought the alley as her hiding place, she hadn't expected to be stopping she and Jack from taking things too far in public.

Jack was still stepping back, nearing the entrance of the alley, but his eyes were shimmering, as they always did. "You look good today, Tru. Dark, questionable alleys suit you," he commented, before disappearing back into the dwindling crowd. Tru knew he was probably just crossing the street and waiting there, but the sudden loss of him near her made her feel unexplainably empty.

Her thoughts could not dwell on emptiness any longer, however, because her eyes had landed on none other than Don Chambers crossing the street, his walk full of determination as he grew closer and closer to the building. She checked her watch. It was ten-twenty. Tru stepped out of the alley, watching the man enter through the automatic doors, and followed quickly behind, wishing the building was locked up for the night earlier than eleven.

She couldn't spot Don once inside, but hurried up the stairs to Richard's floor, knowing they were faster than the elevator. She shoved the door open, only to find no one in the corridor; it _was_ after hours. Tru could hear a voice from inside her father's office, and rushed forward, opening his door with more strength than necessary.

"Yeah, I got that, Chris, but that sort of reasoning wouldn't work in this type of case," Richard was saying into his phone, and he whipped around at the sound of the door opening. Seeing Tru, he said to the person on the other line, "Uh, I've got to call you back." He hung up slowly.

"Tru…" he said carefully.

"Where is he?" Tru asked without hesitation, casting her eyes around the room. She lunged forward and checked the small closet to one side, but only found some hangers and a few odds and ends on the floor.

"Who?" Richard blinked, confused, as he stepped out from behind his desk and approached his daughter.

Tru realized then that Jack hadn't told her father the events of the previous day. She _also_ realized that she now had to stick around for another fifteen minutes to make sure no one was killed.

"Tru, why are you here? What's going on? Did something happen?"

"No," Tru said, shaking her head, her voice hard and her eyes darkening. She tried her hardest to think of a cover that could keep her in his office. God, why did the man have to be killed _here_ of all places?

Richard began cautiously, "Are you here to… make up?"

"_No_. I could _never_ forgive you for what you did. What you've _done_."

"I had to do what I had to do, Tru," he pressed. "There weren't any other options."

"No other _options_? You killed my _mother_! And just so you could get rid of your power!"

"If you had had it for as long as I did, you would have done the same!"

"You lied to her! You could have _told_ her; you two could have figured it out _together_! If you had really loved her, you would have done that! You made a mistake in killing her!" Tru shouted, her eyes stinging with fresh tears.

Richard's face was a mixture of defiance and pain. "There was no point! The death of one of us was the only way to get rid of it! The only mistake I made was falling in love with her."

"You can't help who you love!" Tru declared, her cheeks staining with tears. "And if you really had loved Mom, you would have killed yourself before her."

Her father was silent following that, but only for a minute. "Tru… I didn't want to kill her. But I had no choice."

"Bullshit. She was the one without a choice, since you lied to her! You lied to all of us! You made our family what it is now!"

"It's all in the past now, Tru," Richard said, his voice calm.

"'In the past?' Dad, I am living with this calling every single damn _day_! I _hate_ it! I'm _tired_! I don't _want_ it anymore! But you don't see me taking the easy way out!"

"Well, maybe you should consider it!" Richard suggested in a loud voice.

"What is _that _supposed to mean?" Tru asked furiously.

"You know exactly what I-"

"I am not killing Jack," Tru stated seriously.

Richard shook his head. "One day, Tru, you are going to wake up and not be able to take the constant rewinds anymore; the lifeless bodies asking for your help; the knowledge that someone's life rests with you."

"How would _you_ know? You made sure those people died!"

"And you are going to realize," he continued, ignoring her, "that the only way to stop it is to get rid of the one person fighting you: your opposite. And by then, you won't care if you love him or not! If it means being rid of the calling, you won't care!"

"No!" Tru yelled, finding it hard to believe she had ever addressed the man standing in front of her as her father. "I would _never _do that."

"How do you know Jack wouldn't?"

Tru let herself breathe for a moment. "He wouldn't do that to me."

"He is Fate, Tru. It is his job to ensure that those who die stay dead. He has no problem with killing. Think of the all the people he's let go, even those close to you. He made sure Luc and Jenson both died."

"He's different now," Tru said, trying not to let Richard's ideas creep into her mind and take over.

"What? You think you've changed him? Maybe right now it seems that way, but Tru, he's still Death, by nature. I don't want you to go through what your mother and I did."

"No."

Richard stared at his daughter. "I'll do it for you."

"What?" Tru asked, shocked, lifting her head to stare at him.

"I am not going to leave you to be killed by him one day so he doesn't have his power anymore. I'll have it taken care of. I could have it done by tomorrow. And then you don't have to worry about tampering with Fate ever again. You can live your normal life, without having to worry about someone else. You can graduate and become a doctor without any interruptions." He looked into her eyes. "I just want to help you."

Before Tru could respond, though the comment was on the tip of her tongue, the door flew open.

"Don, what are you doing here!" Richard yelled as Tru spun around to find the man whose life was supposed to be over in a matter of minutes.

Don opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish a few times, before exclaiming, "What the hell do you guys _do_ here! What, you _kill_ people?" His eyes were wild as they zoomed back and forth between Tru and Richard. "I _knew_ there was somethin' weird about you when you first hired me!" he directed towards his employer.

"Hired him?" Tru questioned. "To do what? Follow me around?"

"No, to follow _me_ around," someone behind Don answered, and Jack stepped into the office, joining the small group.

"I should report you all to the police! Or the press or somethin'!" Don exclaimed, pointing a finger towards each person in turn. "Yeah, and 'the calling' that you guys are always talkin' about? What the hell is that?"

Richard had made his way back behind his desk, and now he was closing one of the drawers. "It's nothing that concerns you," he said as he lifted a gun into the air, pointing it straight at Don. Tru knew he was aiming for his heart.

Before she knew what she was doing, she had hurtled forward and thrown herself across the desk, smacking the gun out of a surprised Richard's hand and grabbing his arm to stall him. Don took this chance of confusion to make a hasty exit.

"Jack, go after him!" Tru called as Richard shook his daughter's clutched hand off of his arm and reached for the gun, which had been thrown off to the side of the room.

Jack had already exited by the time Richard had the gun in his hand, poised and ready to fire at his successor.

He looked sadly towards Tru, who was still sprawled on top of the desk, breathing heavily. "That could have been the end," he told her.

"I'm not ready for it to be over," she said as she got back on her feet and ran out the door, leaving Richard alone in his cluttered office, grasping a cold gun and aiming at no one.

**XXX**

Jack followed Don down the stairs and out of the building, hoping in the back of his mind that Tru was all right. Most people were inside now, so the streets were deserted as he chased after a man who could potentially reveal he and Tru's identities to the whole world.

Buildings and parked cars blurred by as he ran, and soon he was passing houses and trees and parks. And just when he felt as if he was going to collapse from running for so long, Don stopped at the edge of a small patch of woods, the only light coming from the moon that bathed them in a milky glow.

"Hey… man," Jack said as he walked forward, panting.

Don turned quickly, pointing a gun towards Jack. His hands shook and his eyes darted back and forth. "Get away from me," he warned.

"Man, why does _everyone_ have a gun?" Jack questioned under his breath, then said slowly in a normal voice, "I don't want to hurt you." He lifted his hands up into the air as if surrendering, and he meant it. After hearing the tail end of Tru and Richard's screaming match back at the office when he had been hidden in the shadows, waiting for Don to make a move, he'd realized that if his boss was so willing to kill him, then maybe he shouldn't keep up with his side of the calling anymore.

"Yeah right!" the scared man replied, his voice cracking. Jack took another step forward.

"I mean it! Don't come any closer!"

Jack shook his head, keeping a smile on his face. He'd been in worse situations. "Calm down. I promise I'm not going to do anything to you."

"What, should I trust you? You work for Mr. Davies, and he just tried to kill me!" Don shouted. "I've been followin' you around for _days_ and you're always havin' weird conversations with that woman, Tru! Always talkin' about 'the calling'."

"Look, Don, if you just put the down the gun and let me explain…" Jack said, taking one more careful step forward.

"Jack!" Tru called as she ran towards the two men, but her yell was lost in the gunshot that rang out in the silence of the night. If she had checked her watch at that moment, it would have told her that it was ten-forty.

She reached Don and Jack, and fell to the ground by the latter. The other man stood, shaking worse than before, horrified at what he'd just done. "I thought he was gonna kill me," he said weakly, dropping the gun. "He said he wasn't goin' to, but…"

Tru wasn't listening to him. She slowly inched closer to Jack, noticing the gunshot wound right in the center of his heart. His face was pale, his eyes lacking their usual glitter, his smirk wiped away from pain.

"Jack…" she whispered, her eyes already blurred by tears. "See? Look what happens when we switch sides." She let her hand rest just above his hair, almost afraid to touch him, to make the fact that he was gone real. "You're not supposed to die like the others. You're _Death_, remember? You can't leave me here without the calling, expecting me to go on in life without you."

A chill ran up her spine, and Tru thanked God for it, because a second later Jack's head turned and he said, "Help me out, Tru," in that teasing voice only he could make her love.

**XXX**


	3. Middle Beginning

**A/N**: My version of 'the end'...

**XXX**

Tru sat up in bed and put a hand over her heart, which seemed to be beating five times faster than normal. This had never happened before. Neither of them had ever died before. And just because he asked her for help didn't mean that it wasn't just so she could rewind and start a fresh day without the calling. She could pick up the phone, call his number, and have no one answer. He could be gone forever.

She never got the chance to tell him that after hating his guts for so long, after being his exact opposite for the entire time she'd known him, she'd grown to love him so much that the thought of not being able to see his smirking lips, or his mysterious, glittering eyes, or to hear his knowing voice, killed her on the inside.

It all could have been a dream. What if the past five years had all been a dream?

Her cell phone rang, startling her and making her jump up from her bed. "Hello?" she asked, pleaded, not even checking the caller ID.

"So dying isn't that much fun. I don't think I'll be doing it again any time soon," came Jack's sarcastic voice.

Tru felt her eyes glistening, and she let out a choked laugh. "I'd prefer if you didn't."

"That still doesn't mean it isn't gonna happen to me again," Jack pointed out.

"Well, I think I can confidently say you're going to be taking my side on this one?" Tru asked.

"You'd be correct," Jack agreed. "I'll be over in a minute." He hung up, leaving Tru to sit back in her bed and let out a relieved sigh.

Now that the day had rewound, she was kind of bummed that she never got to find out how dinner went between Harrison and Avery.

**XXX**

"You know, I think those are my favorite types of reunions," Jack decided as he and Tru sat in her kitchen, sharing a bowl of dry cereal.

She grinned and smacked him on the arm. "Pig."

He shrugged. "That's not what you called me about twenty minutes ago," he teased.

"Yeah, yeah," Tru said, rolling her eyes at his 'male' behavior. "Let's get back to business."

Jack stood, brushing his hands on his pants and pretending to look pained. "Well, if you insist…" He grabbed her hand and pulled her up from the chair.

"Not _that_ business," she chided, sitting back down. "I meant making sure no one dies today."

"Speaking of… do you feel kind of weird?" Jack asked, planting himself back in the chair. "Like…"

"Something is missing?" Tru finished. "Yeah." As much as she wanted to, she wasn't going to get her hopes up just yet. Her eyes found the clock on the microwave, and she jumped up. "Shit, I've got class in half an hour."

"You can't skip just this once?" Jack coaxed.

"No, I've missed so many days I'm afraid they're going to kick me out. Now you get out of here, and we can meet up after I get out. Usual spot?"

"I'll be the one sitting alone with two coffee cups," Jack nodded, grabbing his regular shirt to throw over his undershirt. He was just opening the door when Tru tapped him on the shoulder. He turned and looked at her. "May I help you?"

Tru stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. "I'm glad you're not… dead. I was so afraid you weren't going to ask me."

"Yeah, I'm kind of glad I'm not dead either," Jack responded simply.

"Hey Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"If we did… lose our powers…"

"Then we've got a hell of a future to look forward to."

**XXX**

Now, she was regretting not listening to Jack and skipping class. Good thing she had already attended this lesson.

As Tru exited the classroom, her fellow students streaming out around her, she let her weary mind retrace the two days she'd already gone through, considering how she was going to make sure that by midnight tonight, neither Don nor Jack would be dead.

And if that wasn't enough, she'd also been concerned with quite a large problem that she had been attempting to will herself not to think about since she had woken up that morning: After five years of countless rewinds, hours upon hours of missed sleep, and too many lives lost to Fate, was she finally _free_ of the calling?

With this thought in mind, she made her way down town.

Tru spotted Jack as she came upon the café they frequented, sitting at an outdoor table with two coffee cups, just as he had promised earlier. As she fixed her bag strap over her shoulder, she watched her counterpart, taking him in. He looked calmer, more at peace, though as he scanned the passersby for her, his gaze still held the mischievous glint it always did.

She'd have it no other way.

"Hello there," she greeted once at the table, meeting his lips as his face turned towards her before sitting down.

"Hey," he responded, pushing the coffee cup towards her. As Tru took her first gulp, her eyes widened slightly. "I thought you'd need something strong since you've been awake for over two days," Jack told her with a tired smile. Tru had nearly forgotten that he'd gone without sleep for as long as she had.

"You thought right," Tru nodded, taking one more sip and hoping the affects of the caffeine would stimulate her body before she fell asleep on the table. "So, did you find him?"

"Yup," Jack said, flicking his head towards a small patch of bushes, where Don Chambers was sitting on a nearby bench, writing in his notebook. "He's been there just a few minutes less than I've been here."

"Well, at least we don't have to worry about finding him now," Tru concluded. "Now we just need to figure out how to keep him alive, away from my father, and off your back."

Jack had a smirk plastered on his face. "I actually had an idea about that…"

**XXX**

"Excuse me? Mr. Chambers?" Tru asked as she tapped the man on the shoulder.

Surprised, Don glanced up at her and shut his notebook with more force than necessary. It was then that he noticed Jack standing just behind Tru.

"What are you…" he started, squinting his eyes.

"Look, I can't really explain, but I know you've been following me," Jack said in a tone more serious than he normally used. "I also know that Richard Davies, my boss, is the one who hired you."

"I don't know what you're talkin' about," Don shrugged, attempting to brush them off. He was beginning to stand, but Jack placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back down onto the bench.

"We just need to talk to you for a second," Tru told him.

"Yes, you see… since you've been following me, I'm sure you've taken some interesting notes on the conversations between myself and this lovely woman," Jack said with a nod towards Tru. "And I need to inform you that you cannot let _any_ of the information you may have picked up leak out to _anyone_."

"I don't know what you're talkin' about," Don repeated persistently, looking a bit nervous.

Jack kept a mild grin on his face as he shook his head. "There's no need to cover it up. It's okay. As long as you don't tell anyone what you've heard us talking about, then it's all fine." He leaned closer to Don, and looked around as if checking to make sure no one was eavesdropping. "You see, Tru and I are developing an idea for a supernatural television show that we want to pitch to one of the networks, and Richard's been trying to find out our idea and steal it so he can offer it up before us. He hired you to follow us so he could learn more about our developments."

At this, a look of understanding crossed Don's face. He seemed to be giving up playing innocent. "I thought somethin' seemed kinda fishy with his motives. I'm not used to doin' these kinda cases. Usually it's just wives wantin' to catch their husband cheatin' or somethin' small like that. And now all that stuff you two have been talkin' about, 'the calling' and victims and stuff, it all makes sense." He nodded. "Sounds like a good TV show."

Tru let out a breath, relieved beyond belief that Don had accepted their story. She and Jack exchanged pleased glances. "So you see why you can't tell him?" she asked.

Don waited a beat, and then agreed. "Yeah. Man, this guy really must want your idea if he's got me followin' ya."

"Yeah, he's pretty desperate," Jack said quickly. "So…"

"I'm gonna go quit right now, and go back to my old snoopin' jobs," Don told them, standing up and handing his notebook to Jack. "I hope one of the networks uses your show."

"Me too," Tru nodded, her face a mask of pretend-hopefulness.

Don Chambers walked away, leaving Tru and Jack to stare at the notebook in the latter's hand. "I can't believe he bought that," Jack said, shaking his head in amazement.

"Thank God he did." Tru looked out at the crowd still moving around them. "I think he's safe now. My dad isn't the type to kill people who are quitting."

"I hope so," Jack muttered.

Tru shot him a quizzical look. "What does that mean?"

Jack just sent her a charming smile and took her hand. "Lets go somewhere," he said, more as a statement than a question. Tru grinned and let him lead her away.

**XXX**

"I just had an interesting conversation with the man I hired to follow you," Richard said as he sat behind his desk, Jack standing with his arms crossed over his chest in the middle of the room.

"Oh?" Jack asked, feigning surprise. "What happened?"

Richard looked annoyed. "You know damn well what happened. He quit. He said it was because he didn't want to do a job this big, but I know what he really meant." He stared at the standing man. "You got to him."

"Now how would I have managed that?" Jack questioned simply, feeling smug.

"I'm not sure just yet, but I'll find out." Richard paused. "Is today a rewind day?"

Jack leveled his gaze with his boss'. "Yes."

"Jack…" began Richard warningly. "If Don Chambers died yesterday, then it's your job to tell me, and make sure it happens again today! What are you doing?"

"Starting to live my life, actually," Jack said easily. "It's not my problem anymore."

"Not your problem? Why the hell would you say that? What, did Tru finally get to you?" Richard stopped, realization dawning on his sour face. "You lost your powers?"

Jack shrugged. "We think so."

"But how?"

"I died."

Richard blinked slowly, wrapping his mind around everything. "If you died, then why are you standing in front of me?"

Letting a smirk form on his lips, Jack took his time responding. "Well, because your daughter won this round, and who am I to argue with her? I'm just a plain old guy with no control over Fate."

"But…" Richard's face was full of confusion. "You asked for her help? And the day re-winded? So now all Tru has to do is make sure you don't die today, and that's it?"

"Yes. And, well, if I died today, I'd be screwed, since I don't think we would have a rewind if she really did lose the calling."

Jack gazed at the man sitting across the desk from him with triumph. Finally, after five years, he was able to reduce Richard Davies into speechless shock. And now, if he really wanted to, he'd never have to lay his eyes on this man again. Unless, of course, he and Tru made up. Just because he was no longer playing Fate's advocate didn't mean Jack would be leaving his favorite ex-enemy.

No, he was going to be sticking around for a _long _time.

"I don't understand," Richard finally voiced. "Why didn't the day rewind when Elise was killed?"

"Because _she_ was the one with the job of getting asked for help by the dead, not you. If _you_ had been the one to die, maybe your day would have re-winded, too," Jack stated knowledgably. "But I guess that's the difference between us: I was willing to keep my power no matter what, because I knew that one day I'd be able to be with Tru without them, and that was enough to make me keep going every day. And maybe, if you hadn't given up so easily, you would've gotten the same thing."

Jack decided that he'd been there long enough, and now that Richard knew what was going on, he didn't need to prolong his visit. As he was opening the door to exit, he turned back. "I'll see you around, Richard," he said as his parting words, and then shut the door behind him.

Richard sat still for a long time after his door had closed. Now that he no longer knew whom the two people who had the calling were, what was he going to do?

**XXX**

"So are you ready?" Jack asked as he and Tru stood outside of the restaurant she'd told Harrison and Davis to meet her at for dinner. She hadn't mentioned that Jack was to be joining them also.

Tru looked through the large windows and took a deep breath. "Yeah. It's no big deal, right? I mean, we're just telling them that we don't have our powers anymore. This is a good thing."

"Yes it is," Jack agreed, pushing her lightly towards the door. "So let's go in, shall we?"

They entered the establishment, and the hostess led them over to the table where Harrison and Davis were already seated. When Tru's brother spotted Jack, he said loudly, "Are you _kidding_ me? What's he doing here?"

Tru shook her head as she and Jack sat down. "Don't make a scene," she reprimanded.

"Thanks for the warm welcome," Jack mumbled, rolling his eyes.

"Tru… you said it was just going to be you, Harrison and I," Davis pointed out cautiously.

"Yes, well, Jack and I actually have something to tell you two."

"Oh my God, did this jackass get you pregnant?" Harry questioned, leaning threateningly across the table towards Jack.

"No!" Tru said loudly. At the stares she received, she lowered her voice. "No. Actually, um, I don't have the calling anymore."

"What?" both Davis and Harrison said at the same time.

"It's a pretty long story, but the bottom line is that Jack died, and since he did the calling got passed on to two new people, and even though the day re-winded it never came back to us."

"Are you positive?" Davis looked skeptical.

"Yeah, it happened a few days ago, and no one has asked me yet," Tru answered.

Harrison sat, gathering his thoughts. "Wow. So like, no more saving people? No more dead bodies asking for your help?"

Tru shook her head. "Nope. It's someone else's job now."

"So that means…" he trailed off, glancing at the man he had hated for nearly five years.

"I'm no longer considered 'Death', as you so fondly call me? That would be correct," Jack said.

Davis rubbed a hand over his beard. "So now what do we do?"

"Whatever we want," Tru declared, her voice tinted with relief that only someone who's just gotten rid of the weight of the world off their shoulders could feel. "You can go back to just being yourself and running the morgue without keeping secrets from people, and Harrison can keep working for Dad," Tru nearly stumbled over the last word, "and Jack can get a real job, and I can finish med school and become a doctor. And we don't have to worry about whether someone's life is in danger or not."

"Does this mean I have to like him?" Harrison whined, tilting his head towards Jack.

Jack sighed and shrugged. "Whatever." But he smiled as Tru caught his eye and they shared a content look.

The four let a silence drift upon them; everyone considering their own future plans. Davis cleared his throat. "So what does this mean for you two?" He glanced between Tru and Jack.

"Who knows?" Tru responded, picking up her menu and grinning into it. "Does anyone else feel like chicken tonight?" she queried as she felt Jack's warm hand slip onto her thigh.

**XXX**

_End._

**A/N 2:** I left room in case I ever decided to do a one-shot sequel. Hope you all enjoyed :)


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